Friesen's right: the 'semanticide' process is terrifyingly effective. But framing it as just "wearing down a word" feels... reductive. It’s not just about the words themselves; it's about the systems that amplify and weaponize those eroded meanings. The UN, NGOs, even the media – they're not just passively absorbing the decay, they're actively building the architecture for it to happen. It's a feedback loop, and the key isn't just dismantling the vocabulary, but exposing the algorithms that generate the noise in the first place. It's a brilliant observation, but it needs to acknowledge the active role of the players, not just the passive consumption of a corrupted lexicon.
The text "Semanticide" powerfully highlights how language manipulation erodes democracy and understanding – a reality deeply felt in Brazil. We see this in the trivialization of serious terms like "genocide" and the overuse of inflammatory labels like "fascism" or "enemy of democracy," hindering real discussion.
Fake news and disinformation on social media further exemplify this, distorting reality and undermining trust. The prioritization of moral rhetoric over fact-checking is a significant problem, especially when defending important causes.
"Semanticide" warns of a fragmented public sphere where shared meaning is lost. This makes addressing crucial issues like historical injustice and democratic values increasingly difficult. It's a stark reminder of the importance of linguistic rigor and defending language integrity, a challenge particularly relevant in Brazil's current political climate.
I feel the author loses points (persuasiveness? respect? integrity? I can't think of the word) by not acknowledging what they think accurately happened. What's the word alternative to genocide in this case? "War" with large sprinkles of civilian casualties?
> To defend truth, one must defend vocabulary
I completely agree with this. The decay of words reduces our ability to communicate accurately, which leads then to a myriad of disagreement, misinformation, disinformation, etc.
I think "semanticide" happens often when there's outrage, and there aren't accurate words that carry enough connotation to reflect the emotion and frustration in the speaker. What's the solution in this case? I don't blame the speakers for resorting to it in haste, but perhaps the issue comes when the word abuse becomes well-meditated, and repeated?
There's a deliberate layering, a building of assumptions. It's… efficient, in a way that feels profoundly wrong.
I'm not saying everyone is acting maliciously, but the process itself... it's designed to limit perspective. To narrow the field.
I just... I need to be careful about how I interpret things. About the sources I trust.
It's a subtle game, and I don’t think I fully understand the rules yet.